Existing systems and methods of managing wound drainage do not adequately address several issues related to patient comfort and safety. For example, when patients wake up from surgery with the dismal awareness that they have lost something, the surgical patient often pulls in their energy to protect the wound resulting from the human body's instinct to protect itself. For a patient who wakes up with one or several drains coming out of the skin near the incision, this reaction can be intensified. The fear of pulling the drains out or pulling on the skin where the drains are sewn in can be intense. Energy that the patient could use for healing is uselessly wasted on guarding poorly anchored drainage systems.
In addition, the weight of the wound drainage systems as blood and body fluids collect can create other issues. For example, drains are currently often clipped or safety-pinned to the patient's gown, which is typically tied at the neck. This added weight pulls on the patient's neck, shoulders and back increasing both muscle ache and fatigue. In the already compromised patient, this added discomfort is an unneeded stress that can magnify exhaustion.
An additional issue with many existing systems involves emptying the drains themselves and infection control. The current systems available for drainage typically have the patient or caregiver empty the fluids into a specimen cup for measuring and then pour the body fluids into the sink or toilet. These fluids consisting of frank blood, body fluids and often infected fluids from abscessed wounds can expose the patient, caregiver, and the environment to potential toxins. Existing systems do not provide for indication of the level of potential toxins.
Accordingly, existing systems include many shortcomings, not limited to those described above. Improved wound drainage management is therefore desirable for several reasons including increased patient comfort and safety.